The Indianapolis Colts are at home and face the Tennessee Titans in their Week 16 game on Sunday at 1:00 pm EST.

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Last week the Colts lost in spectacular fashion to the Denver Broncos. Over the next week, Colts fans all over the internet have expressed a series of emotional, irrational reactions that suggest everyone should be fired, and most people want to give the 22-year-old quarterback another chance with new leadership.

And I have to say, of all the possible reactions to this season, this is by far the stupidest thing the Colts could have done.

• Here is a list of starting quarterbacks under the age of 23 who have led their team to the playoffs over the past 15 years:

2023: CJ Stroud – 22 years old

2019: Lamar Jackson – 22 years old

2012: Andrew Luck – 22 years old, Robert Griffin III – 22 years old

• Here is a list of starting quarterbacks under the age of 23 who have led their team to winning records over the past 15 years:

2023: CJ Stroud – 9-6

2020: Tua Tagovailoa – 6-3

2019: Lamar Jackson 13-2

2018: Lamar Jackson 6-1

2012: Andrew Luck – 11-5, RGIII – 9-6

2010: Josh Freeman – 10-6

That’s it. These are the lists.

I’m not saying fans shouldn’t want more from Anthony Richardson and the Colts, obviously they will want more. But expect Anything more is, frankly, stupid. And in a year where they started the least experienced and youngest Week 1 starting quarterback in the NFL, do you want to clean up if the team narrowly misses the postseason?

Does anyone else see how stupid this is, or is it just me?

Based on what I see, very few others seem to realize how silly these expectations are. I will be disappointed. I’m disappointed. Watching the Colts do well is fun. I don’t like sitting out the playoffs while everyone else is having fun. But the fact is that the majority of Colts fans and content creators said the same thing before the season:

This season is all about the development of Anthony Richardson.

And now that the Colts are out of the playoffs, it seems like people have either forgotten that, or it’s just that their belief that Richardson isn’t developing properly coincides with the Colts’ playoff chances, which are close to drop to zero.

Interesting.

This is a much more nuanced topic than what I’m going to cover here in this article, which no one reads on their way to the comments to complain about the game. But I think that should be covered and last week’s loss didn’t change that. A loss this week wouldn’t change that. Win or lose? You guessed it. Doesn’t change anything. We hope for wins and prepare for the offseason.

As always, Go Colts.

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Week 16 Inactive

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This is your open thread for Week 16, so stick around, chat, celebrate, commiserate, and argue in the comments! Go wild (within reason)!

Come on, Colts!